


Undercover

by machtaholic (cinderella81)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Background Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Background Relationships, First Kiss, M/M, Makeover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 05:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12474844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderella81/pseuds/machtaholic
Summary: Honestly, this is just a blatant excuse for me to have nerd!Jace who gets made over for a mission at a club that caters to the downworld and finds common ground with Simon.





	Undercover

“Jace Herondale, just the Shadowhunter I was looking for!.”

Jace tucked a lock of hair behind his ear and glanced up at Izzy and frowned.

“Izzy,” Jace said. “I was just finishing a report for Alec about the recent rise in Sirens in New York City, about how we spot and disengage them. Alec’s not happy about them being here, wants them gone before any more mundanes die.”

“Precisely why I came to find you,” Izzy said. “You and Alec are going on a mission tomorrow night at Inner Sanctum.”

“Inner Sanctum,” Jace replied. “The nightclub that caters to the downworld.”

“Exactly.” Izzy snatched Jace’s reading glasses off his face and squinted through them. “How do you see with these? Anyway, Simon got both you and Alec an invite. Well, actually, he was able to get you to the door - it’s up to you and Alec to get through the door.”

“I can see through them because they are made specifically for my eyes and my vision,” Jace said, grabbing his reading glasses back. “And if it’s tomorrow night, why are you telling me now?”

“Because you are going to meet me bright and early tomorrow morning so I can help you get ready,” Izzy said.

“Why do I need to meet you bright and early?” Jace said. “Throw clothes on, tie my hair back and go out.”

“No,” Izzy said. “Not for tomorrow night, not for Inner Sanctum.”

“What is wrong with my normal hunting routine?” Jace asked.

“Oh sweetie,” Izzy said, tucking an errant lock of hair behind Jace’s ear. “You would stick out like a sore thumb at Inner Sanctum. You and Alec need to get the right kind of attention, not the wrong kind of attention, if you want to get through the door and even get into Inner Sanctum. And no offense, but your current look would garner the wrong kind of attention. Alec would get in, but you wouldn’t, and we need you in there to spot the Sirens.”

“So why send me on the mission at all?” Jace asked. 

“Because you are our best fighter and you are our resident Siren expert,” Izzy said, tapping the report Jace had been working on.

“But you said I will get the wrong kind of attention,” Jace said.

“And tomorrow we are going to fix that, with some help from Magnus,” Izzy said. “Just trust me.”

“I feel like I should be scared,” Jace muttered.

“Don’t worry, you’ll still be you,” Izzy said. “Just … upgraded.”

Jace glanced down at his clothes - khaki slacks, loafers, and a light blue button up shirt with a comfortable sweater (the Institute got cold) - and sighed softly, twirling a shoulder length lock of hair around his finger.

“Upgraded.” 

“Trust me,” Izzy said. “It’s going to be fine.”

* * * 

Jace woke early the next morning and hurried to the training area to try to get some sparring in. He’d actually hoped to spar for long enough that he missed whatever Izzy had planned for him, but that ended up not being the case.

“Jace!” Alec called.

Jace turned and frowned when he saw Alec, with Izzy at his side.

“Don’t be mad at Alec, I forced him to bring me with him,” Izzy said.

“My own Parabatai won’t protect me from Izzy’s torture?” Jace said, glaring at his best friend. “Traitor.”

“Sorry,” Alec said, “but when it comes to this, I can’t say no to her. Also, if I say no to Magnus, he’ll withhold -”

“Don’t want to know,” Jace said, taking a drink from his water bottle. “Sure there’s no other way to do this?”

“Not if you want to get into Inner Sanctum,” Izzy said.

“Magnus has already given me strict instructions about what to wear and how I have to do my hair to make sure I get in,” Alec muttered.

“I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?” Jace asked with a sigh.

“It might be a bit out of your comfort zone, but I hope you won’t hate it,” Izzy said. “Now, we’d best get a move on.”

“Guess so,” Jace said, giving Alec one more glare before following Izzy to the entry of the Institute, where Magnus was waiting for them.

“Isabelle, Jace,” Magnus said, giving each of them a smile and a nod as they set off down the street.

“Magnus,” Izzy said. “Thank you for your assistance today.”

“We have our work cut out for us,” Magnus said. “But there is a diamond there, I’m sure of it.”

“I think I’m offended,” Jace muttered.

“That’s just Magnus,” Izzy said, patting Jace on the arm before looking over to Magnus. “Now, I was thinking we go to Trash and Vaudeville first and then go see Rylee.”

“No, no Rylee first,” Magnus said. “And then Trash and Vaudeville.”

Izzy shook her head. “No, we’re going to need all the time we can get with Rylee,” she said. “We can get through Trash and Vaudeville in a couple of hours and then spend the rest of the time with Rylee. And you know we need as much time with Rylee and her team as we can get.”

Magnus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Valid point,” he said. “I’ll call Orion and have him start pulling some stuff for Jace.”

“What is Trash and Vaudeville and who are Orion and Rylee?” Jace asked, interrupting them. When they ignored him, he stopped walking and waited for them to realize.

Izzy stopped first and turned, grabbing Magnus to stop him from walking.

“Jace, we need to get moving,” Izzy said.

“Not until you talk to me,” Jace said, resisting the urge to stop his foot like a petulant child. “You guys are acting like I’m not here when today is apparently all about me. So tell me what’s going on.”

“Remember what I told you yesterday?” Izzy said. “Trash and Vaudeville is where we’re going to get your clothes, and Orion works there. Rylee is a friend of mine and Magnus’ that is going to help with the rest.”

“The rest of what?” Jace asked.

“Oh my sweet summer child,” Magnus said, “Rylee works at a salon. You have such potential hiding under that hair and those clothes. And we must make you shine like a diamond if you’re going to get into Inner Sanctum.”

“So you’re going to turn me into someone else,” Jace muttered.

“No, you’ll still be you,” Izzy said. “Comic book loving, sci-fi movie watching adorable nerd that you are. Whatever we do to the outside won’t change that.”

“Now, can we please get moving?” Magnus said. “Places to be and all.”

Jace sighed and rubbed his face for a moment before tugging a bit as his workout pants and nodding. “Fine, carry on,” he said.

Izzy pressed a sweet kiss to Jace’s cheek before tugging him down the street after Magnus, who’d already started walking again.

Had they not been with a warlock, it would have taken them longer to get there. Once they were out of sight, Magnus created a portal for them and dropped them in an alley just a street away from Trash and Vaudeville.

The second Jace walked through the door, he felt out of place. He might not have been in his normal attire of slacks, button up, loafers and cardigan, but even in his workout pants, sneakers and baggy t-shirt he felt out of place.

“Magnus, Izzy!” A petite man with long purple hair and a multitude of tattoos and piercings met them at the door. “And this must be Jace.”

“Yes, this is Jace,” Magnus said. “Jace, meet Orion.”

“Hello,” Jace murmured.

“I understand why you called me,” Orion said. “Jace needs my help. Desperately.”

“He’s going to a club tonight and needs to make a good impression,” Izzy said. “Magnus said you started grabbing things?”

“Magnus gave me some idea of what to grab and suggested some sizes,” Orion said. “But it’s hard to judge without seeing what I’m working with.”

“Well, now we’re here,” Izzy said.

“So you are,” Orion said. “So Jace, care to walk with me through the shop? I’d like to get your opinion on things, and then we really need to know what size you are.”

“I wear -” Jace started.

“No, not what size you wear,” Orion said, slipping his hand into the crook of Jace’s arm and gently tugging him further into the shop. “What size you are. Honey, you are practically swimming in those clothes - you want to show off what you have, not hide it under yards of fabric.”

“I’m thinking lots of black,” Izzy said, following Orion and Jace through the shop.

“And leather,” Magnus added.

“Well, let’s just meander a bit and see what catches Jace’s eye, shall we?” Orion said. “After all, he does have to wear it.”

Jace knew his eyes were wide as they walked slowly through the store, the music loud almost to the point Jace couldn’t think. He tried to pay attention to what everyone was saying, fabrics and colors and fit, but it was all way over his head.

“Jace,” Izzy said, “why don’t you pick a couple of things?”

Jace shrugged, but looked through the racks, hoping to find something he’d be comfortable in. He found a couple of pairs of simple black jeans, hesitantly putting them over his arm before looking at all the different kinds of shirts.

“Here,” Orion said, “I’ll put these in the room we started for you.” He took the jeans from Jace and disappeared to the back of the shop.

Jace looked through the racks of shirts, frowning; none of it fit his personal style. He tried to find things that were simple and laid them over his arm.

“Magnus,” Jace said a few minutes later.

“Yes Jace,” Magnus said as he perused the shirts a few racks over from Jace.

“If you even think about trying to put me in mesh, you’ll live to regret it,” Jace said.

“Duly noted,” Magnus said, laughter evident in his voice.

“Jace, darling, did you get some shirts? Oh good, come on back and you can start trying things on,” Orion said, tugging Jace back to the dressing rooms.

Once inside, Jace looked at all the stuff that had been set aside and cringed. He reached for a few of the items - black jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt.

“Come out and show us!” Izzy called.

Jace sighed, but complied and stepped out of the dressing room to show Izzy, Magnus and Orion his outfit.

“Simple and classic,” Orion said.

“Needs a leather jacket,” Magnus said, “and boots.”

“But first things first,” Orion said, approaching Jace. “Are these the size you wear or the size you are?”

Jace shrugged - he’d grabbed things in the sizes he normally wear.

“Izzy, be a dear and go get me this exact outfit in the following sizes,” Orion said, rattling off sizes that were two sizes smaller than what Jace wore. 

“Jace, how do you feel about boots?” Magnus said, showing Jace a couple of different pairs of boots - one utilitarian, one fashion.

“Nothing with a heel,” Jace said with a frown.

“Spoil my fun,” Magnus said, setting the heeled boots aside. “Very well, Docs it is.”

“Here we go!” Izzy said, showing up with more clothes.

“Here, put these on instead,” Orion said, passing the clothes over to Jace, who took them obligingly and went back into the dressing room.

The new clothes Izzy had brought were much tighter than what he’d had on, and Jace felt supremely uncomfortable. Everything fit, but fit almost too well.

“Are they supposed to feel this tight?” Jace said as he stepped out of the dressing room, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear shyly.

“Well, look at that,” Orion said. “Knew you were hiding under all that fabric.”

Izzy smiled and passed Jace a leather jacket she’d grabbed off the rack. “Here, try it with this,” she said.

Jace slipped the jacket on, grateful for the little the bit of armour it provided.

“Halfway there,” Magnus said. “This is the perfect ensemble.”

“He’s going to wear this out, with the boots,” Izzy said. “And maybe we’ll grab a few other items for later.”

“Simple and classic,” Orion said. “Jace’s natural beauty would get lost under anything else.”

Jace knew he was blushing as he sat down, tugging the boots on and lacing them up. He stood up and brushed his hair out of his face before shoving his hands into the pockets of his new jeans.

“You can burn his other stuff,” Izzy said as she grabbed some items out of the dressing room to take to the counter.

“Iz, those are my workout clothes,” Jace protested.

“We’ll get you new ones,” Magnus said.

“Come on, let’s check out and get to Rylee,” Izzy said, leading the way to the register where Orion rang them up.

“Come back anytime,” Orion told Jace, giving Jace’s ass a playful squeeze. “Seriously, anytime.”

Jace didn’t know how to respond to that, so he gave Orion a timid smile, grabbed the bags and followed Izzy and Magnus out of the shop. As Izzy and Magnus chatted and gossiped, Jace shoved a hand in his back pocket and frowned when he found a slip of paper there. He pulled it out and found Orion’s name and number written in purple ink, complete with a little heart.

Jace blushed and shoved the slip of paper back into his back pocket and turned his attention back to where Izzy and Magnus had stopped walking a few feet ahead of him.

“Jace,” Izzy said. “We’re at our next stop.”

Jace closed the space between him and Izzy and Magnus and glanced through the windows of the building they were stopped in front of.

“This is the Rogue Salon,” Izzy said. “Where Rylee works. Now, she’s waiting for us with some people to help her out - this is probably going to be very overwhelming for you.”

“Deep breaths and you’ll be fine,” Magnus said, nudging Jace towards the door. “I’m very much looking forward to this.”

Jace got a couple of looks when he walked in, followed by Izzy and Magnus, but not nearly as many as he would have expected. A woman was waiting by the front desk, and she gave Jace a smile.

“Jace?” she said. “I’m Rylee.”

“Rylee!” Izzy pushed past Jace and gave Rylee a hug. “Thank you so much for squeezing us in.”

“I basically moved all my other appointments today so I could put my focus on Jace,” Rylee said. “I also called in Orchid, Julio and Angie.”

“Impressive,” Magnus said.

“I see you went to see Orion,” Rylee said. “J’approve. Jace, darling, pass Izzy your jacket and come back to my station.”

Jace removed his jacket and passed it back to Izzy, then cautiously followed Rylee through the salon to a corner of the salon that was mostly private and tucked away from the rest of the patrons.

“Thought you’d appreciate a little privacy,” Rylee said as Jace sat down in her chair.

“Thank you,” Jace murmured. “This has been an eventful day already.”

“And it’s not going to get any better here, I’m afraid,” Rylee said as she wrapped a cape around Jace’s neck. “Izzy called me and gave me a rundown of what’s happening tonight. Frankly hon, you’re not going to get into this club tonight if your hair looks like this.” She picked up a brush and began to gently brush Jace’s hair.

“So I’ve been told,” Jace murmured, humming softly as Rylee brushed his hair, barely registering as she pulled his hair back in ponytail at the base of his neck.

“Rylee,” Izzy said as she and Magnus took seats against the wall. “I wanted to perhaps suggest something.”

“No, Rylee works best when she has no boundaries holding her back,” Magnus said.

“Those eyes, those lips, that jawline,” Rylee said. “I know exactly what to do.”

“Can I ask what else you have planned?” Izzy asked as she watched Rylee work.

“I think I’d rather like to keep it a bit secret,” Rylee admitted. “And now, since I’m not one to waste product …”

Jace gasped as he felt Rylee tighten her grip on his ponytail, felt rhythmic tugging and then his head suddenly felt lighter. His eyes widened as Rylee dropped a blonde ponytail in his lap.

“Holy shit,” Jace whispered, looking at his reflection in the mirror where jaw length blonde hair fell around his face.

“Better already,” Rylee said with a grin. “And now I’m just going to get the rough cut in before we do any other treatments.”

Jace admitted to feeling a bit lightheaded as he watched Rylee create a part high above his ears and pin the hair up, leaving everything below the part hanging around his face. Then, before Jace could protest, Rylee produced a pair of clippers and buzzed everything below the part down to an eighth of an inch.

“Wow,” Izzy said. “This already looks amazing.”

“And I’m not even done yet,” Rylee said. “We’re going to do a beer rinse to really bring out the blonde and while that is sitting, I’m going to have Orchid work on his nails. Julio, our razor master, is going to give him a straight razor shave and then Angie is going to see about his eyebrows.”

“Something is wrong with my eyebrows?” Jace said, frowning and touching his face.

“You have a good foundation, but they need a little cleaning up,” Rylee said, patting Jace’s shoulder. “Once all that is done, we’ll finesse the cut and he’ll be ready to go.”

“This is all incredibly overwhelming,” Jace murmured.

“We’ll try to make is as relaxing as possible,” Rylee said.

“This isn’t meant to be torture, Jace,” Magnus called.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Jace muttered.

“Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll be back with the beer rinse,” Rylee said. She disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a small basin and two bottles of beer. “Okay, I’m going to fill this basin and we’re going to lean you back and soak your hair in this beer for five to ten minutes.”

“You want to soak my hair in beer,” Jace said.

“It’ll bring out the blonde,” Rylee said as she popped the beers open, poured them into the basin and then put the basin onto the rolling cart. “Pale ale works best for blonde hair.” She spun Jace around, bumped the chair up a bit and helped him lay back so the entire back of his head up to his forehead was soaking in the basin of beer.

“This is cold,” Jace muttered, shivering a bit and trying to lift his head as the beer got in his ears.

“Sorry, we keep the beer in the fridge,” Rylee said. “It’s only for about ten minutes.”

Jace sighed and let his head fall back, wincing a bit. The beer muffled the sounds around him, blocking out the sound of Izzy, Magnus and Rylee all chatting, allowing Jace a chance to try to regain a bit of composure. He still felt like Izzy and Magnus were trying to change who he was - he knew that they couldn’t actually do that, that they could only change the outside, but it was still a lot.

Jace just wanted to still be himself when everything was done.

He felt Rylee’s hands helping him lift his head, humming a bit as she wrapped a towel around his head and securing it.

“Okay, that beer is going to sit for an hour or so before we wash,” Rylee said. “So, I’m going to call Orchid over to work in your nails, okay?”

“Sure,” Jace said with a shrug.

“Her hand massages are amazing,” Rylee said, patting Jace on the shoulder before going to get Orchid, who arrived a few minutes later with her own little trolley and stool.

“Now, I’m going to do just a basic manicure,” Orchid said as she sat by Jace’s right hand, setting it in a basin of warm soapy water. “No color, I promise. Just a nice cleaning, trimming and buffing with a hand massage.”

“Sure we can’t convince you to do black?” Magnus called.

“It would go with the ensemble,” Izzy added.

“No,” Jace said. “No color. Please.”

“Don’t worry,” Orchid murmured. “I won’t do color.” 

Jace gave Orchid a small smile, closing his eyes and letting her work - first his right hand, then his left. The hand massages were heavenly and Jace almost fell asleep during each one.

Just as Orchid finished, Rylee came back over.

“Okay, now it’s time to wash the beer out,” Rylee said. “Then you’ll come back and we’ll have Angie work on your eyebrows before Julio comes over. I thought about it and decided we should do the brows first before the shave.”

Jace shrugged and stood, following Rylee over to the sinks where he sat down and laid back, humming a bit when Rylee started the water, undid the towel and began to card her fingers through his fingers and soaking the strands with water.

“We’re all a little hedonistic here,” Rylee murmured. “It’s okay, enjoy it a bit.”

Jace knew he was blushing, but he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He hummed again when he felt Rylee’s fingers again, massaging shampoo into his hair. He knew his toes were curling in his boots as Rylee scratched and massaged - she was definitely trying to get Jace to relax and it was working.

Once the shampoo was rinsed, Rylee went back with the conditioner, massaging Jace’s scalp again. Jace was pretty sure he was complete jelly by the time Rylee wrapped his hair in another towel and helped him sit up.

“Now, Angie’s going to be waiting there when we get back,” Rylee explained as they walked. “Sometimes she can get exuberant, but when she senses your discomfort, she’ll tone it down.”

Jace knew Rylee was coddling him, but he honestly didn’t mind - the whole day continued to be a whirlwind of events forcing him out of his comfort zone.

There was another person waiting there for Jace when he rounded the corner, and she smiled when she saw Jace.

“Hi, I’m Angie,” the woman said.

“Hello,” Jace said as he sat down.

Angie rolled her trolley over next to Jace and stood at his side, looking at his face, particularly his eyebrows.

“Good foundation,” Angie said. “You only need a little shaping and to get rid of the bit of hair here.” She reached out and ran a finger right between Jace’s eyebrows.

“I don’t have a unibrow,” Jace muttered.

“This part of your brows are blonde, so an untrained eye won’t see it,” Angie said as she got her supplies ready. “But you’d be surprised in the difference you’ll see when I’m done.”

Jace sat statue still as Angie waxed the spot between his eyebrows, ignoring the tears that came to his eyes as the hairs were ripped away. Angie then trimmed his brows and used a bit of wax to get rid any other stray hairs. When she was done she used a little wipe that smelled like peaches to clean away any excess wax.

“You know, your eyes would really pop if we permed your eyelashes,” Angie said.

“What? No,” Jace said. “No way.”

“We offer it if you ever want it,” Angie said with a shrug before cleaning up her stuff and leaving Jace to contemplate his reflection in the mirror.

“I’m impressed,” Magnus said once Angie had left. “I can actually see a difference.”

“Me too,” Izzy said. “Jace, you should have done this sooner.”

“What, let you two kidnap and torture me?” Jace muttered.

“It’s not all that bad, right?” Izzy said. 

“Could have done without the waxing,” Jace replied.

“Well, the difference is astounding,” Rylee said as she rounded the corner with a man at her side. “Jace, this is Julio, our razor master. He’s here to give you a straight-edge razor shave.”

“I shaved this morning,” Jace protested.

“You haven’t experienced a straight-razor shave,” Julio said. “It’s a life changing experience.”  
“If you say so,” Jace said. Julio dropped the chair back so Jace was lying down and Jace flailed a bit in surprise.

“Relax, I know what I’m doing,” Julio said, patting Jace on the shoulder.

“Just give me a warning the next time you propel me backwards,” Jace muttered. 

There was a moment of surprise when Julio put the hot towel on his face, but soon the warmth of the towel had Jace relaxed. The removal of the towel made Jace shiver a bit as the cold air touched his face, but then he got a bit lost in the feeling of the brush and shaving cream on his face, followed by the rhythmic scraping of the razor against his skin.

Another warm towel was placed on Jace’s face, and he hummed softly as he breathed in the soothing scent of sandalwood. The towel was removed and Jace felt Julio put a bit of moisturizer on his face before helping him sit up just as Rylee reappeared.

“Are we still running on time?” Izzy asked.

Jace yawned and watched Julio leave before glancing over at her. “You tell me,” he muttered. “I’ve lost all sense of time. Also, am I going to be able to eat at all?”

“Oh, I’ve taken care of that,” Magnus said. “While Julio was working, I went down the street and got us all some food.” He passed food around and then sat back down next to Izzy.

Jace’s stomach growled as he took the burger Magnus offered and made quick work of it, humming softly. 

“I’m going to go ahead and finish this cut and then you’ll be ready to go,” Rylee said as she removed the towel from Jace’s hair and began to gently comb through it.

Jace munched on french fries as he watched Rylee work, making certain not to move his head too much.

“Your hair definitely looks blonder,” Izzy commented.

“That’s the beer rinse working its magic,” Rylee said as she combed and snipped, combed and snipped, sending locks of hair floating to the ground around Jace.

Jace popped the last fry in his mouth just as Rylee finished cutting. Jace watched her set the scissors down and then picked up a small pair of clippers, nudging his head down as she cleaned up his neck. Jace’s hair fell all around his face and it definitely did seem blonder.

When Rylee finished with clippers, she grabbed the blow dryer and the round brush and quickly dried and styled Jace’s hair back off his face, but free of product.

“Rylee, you are a genius,” Izzy said as Rylee removed the cape from around Jace’s neck and let him stand.

“I know,” Rylee said.

Jace stood and approached the mirror, contemplating his hair. It was definitely different, but he found he didn’t really hate it. It would take some getting used to, and definitely more upkeep than his previous style, but … 

“Here, put the jacket on,” Izzy said, passing Jace the leather jacket.

Jace slid the leather jacket on and looked at his reflection once more. He looked completely different than he had that morning - but he still felt like himself.

“And we have just enough time to get to the club and meet Alec,” Magnus said.

“Now, this haircut won’t take care of itself,” Rylee said as they all headed back to the front of the salon. “Undercut touch-ups every couple of weeks or so, trimming the top every six to eight weeks.”

“Thanks for the info,” Izzy said, passing Rylee the cash to cover all the treatments Jace underwent, including big tips for everyone involved.

When they were back on the street, Izzy made Jace pose for a couple of pictures.

“We’re going to be late if we don’t get a move on,” Magnus said, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Okay, okay,” Izzy said and they all headed to an alley a few storefronts down from the salon. “So, Alec will meet you there, as will Simon. Now, Simon will make sure that you’re not kicked out of the line, but he couldn’t actually get you in - the bouncer gets to decide to let you in or not.”

“Once you’re inside, then you’re free to locate and disengage all the sirens that ar there,” Magnus said. “I’ll be around if you need assistance, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

“Oh, here’s your stele and your seraph blade,” Izzy said, passing the items to Jace, who immediately puts them in his back pockets.

“Let’s get going,” Magnus said, quickly creating a portal. They all went through and arrived on the other side of the portal just a few buildings down from Inner Sanctum.

“Okay, Magnus will show you where the line is,” Izzy said. “I gotta go!” She pressed a quick kiss to Jace’s cheek and then gave him a playful shove in the direction of the club before heading off.

“Just look for Alexander,” Magnus said with a smile. “I’m going around to the members entrance and will see you inside.”

Jace nodded and began to walk in the direction of the club, looking out for Alec. The closer he got to the club, the more people he encountered, the more looks he got.

“Jace? Is that you?”

Jace turned in the direction of the voice and smiled when he saw Alec.

“Yep,” Jace said.

“You look completely different,” Alec said, frowning a bit.

“Your sister and your boyfriend’s doing,” Jace said as they made their way over to the line formed outside Inner Sanctum.

“It’s not bad,” Alec said. “Just different.”

“No, it’s not bad,” Jace agreed. “Just out of my comfort zone. So, have you seen Simon yet?”

“No, he should be here any minute, though,” Alec said.

They chatted for a few minutes, watching the others in line with them carefully. The line moved, people got turned away or let in. Jace got nervous the closer they got to the front as Simon had yet to appear.

“I’m late, I’m late, I know!” 

Jace resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he saw Simon jogging over to them.

“We were beginning to worry,” Alec said.

“Yeah, Raphael kept talking and talking and - holy shit, Jace? Is that you?” Simon stopped and stared at Jace.

“Yep,” Jace said.

“Wow,” Simon whispered. He stood next to them and stared at Jace for a few minutes, not saying anything.

“Simon,” Alec finally said.

“What? Sorry,” Simon said. “Sorry, sorry. Okay, so these will let the bouncer know that you know someone inside. So you won’t automatically get turned away - which is what happens to people who don’t have these.”

Jace took the silver bracelet Simon passed him and slipped it onto his left wrist, trying not to blush; the whole time Simon talked, he kept looking over at Jace.

“Thanks,” Alec said. “You going to be inside?”

“Yep,” Simon said. “It’s trivia night and vampires always kick ass because they’ve been around forever. But they failed at any comic related trivia because they’re apparently too stuffy to read comics? Anyway, we’ve been winning all the comic questions since I joined the team.”

“Are the questions comic book or movie based?” Jace asked.

“Both,” Simon said. “Better get going, it’s going to start soon!”

Jace watched Simon run off to the members entrance, then glanced down at the bracelet on his wrist.

“Your crush is showing,” Alec murmured as they moved up in the line.

“Shut up,” Jace mumbled.

They reached the of the line soon enough. They showed their bracelets to the bouncer and then waited as the bouncer looked each of them over.

“Welcome to Inner Sanctum, gentlemen,” the bouncer said, letting them by. “Have a good evening.”

Jace followed Alec into the club and the second they were in the door they were assaulted by flashing lights, loud music and the sight of bodies pressed to each other either dancing, or … Jace blinked against the lights and tried to get a sense for the layout of the club.

“Now, we’re only here for the sirens,” Alec said. “We’re not here to police anything else about this club. The sirens are creating havoc that is bringing unwanted attention to the downworld, so that’s our focus.”

“Understood,” Jace said. “You take right and I’ll take left.”

Alec nodded and the two of them set off in search of the sirens.

It actually didn’t take long for Jace to locate the sirens and disengage them and get them out of the club and Jace knew they wouldn’t be showing up in New York City for a while. However, the mission felt almost too easy and Jace intended to tell Alec that when he found him.

He rounded a corner and stopped when he found Alec pressed against the wall, engaged in a passionate kiss with Magnus. He stepped back quietly, not wanting to disturb them, and began to head towards the exit. The mission was done, there was nothing else for Jace to do there.

He passed through the throngs of people, trying to avoid the roaming hands as best he could; although Jace was sure he was going to have a multitude of bruises on his ass from all the pinches. He made it through the crowds and passed by a table where a large group of people sat, including Simon. He paused for a bit and listened to the questions being asked - from science, to history, to literature, to pop culture, they asked everything.

“Okay, this comic book hero was a practicing Buddhist and one of his powers was reincarnation,” one of the werewolves at the table said.

“The Green Lama,” Jace said just as Simon said the same thing.

Simon had clearly heard Jace, because he looked up at Jace in surprise.

“Vampires take this round!” the werewolf said, eliciting groans from everyone at the table.

“I’m going to go get a drink,” Simon said.

“Take your time, maybe someone else will win the next round,” one of the others at the table called as Simon left the table.

“Dude,” Simon said as he approached Jace. “How do you know the The Green Lama?”

“I have a couple of issues,” Jace admitted.

“Seriously? I thought I was the only one who was that big a comic book nerd,” Simon admitted.

“My collection is huge,” Jace mumbled. “Izzy and Alec tease me about it all the time.”

“Raphael threatened to burn my collection when I wouldn’t do as he wanted,” Simon said. “Jace, can I buy you a drink?”

“Um, sure?” Jace said, running a hand through his hair as he followed Simon to the bar. He avoided the roaming hands and sat down at the bar with Simon. The bartender came over and took the orders, then left them alone.

“You look really different,” Simon said.

“Compliments of Izzy and Magnus,” Jace said. “They said I wouldn’t be able to get in if I looked the way I did before.”

“Probably true,” Simon admitted as the waiter came over with their drinks.

“It’s not too bad,” Jace said with a shrug as he sipped his beer.

“No, dude,” Simon said. “You look … amazing. Not that you looked bad before, but you look fucking beautiful tonight. And … I may have had a shot of plasma earlier tonight so take anything I say with a grain of salt.”

Jace almost choked on his sip of beer.

“Beautiful?” Jace whispered. “You think I’m beautiful.”

“Well, yeah,” Simon said.

“You mean now that Izzy and Magnus turned me into someone else,” Jace said, taking a long drink of beer.

“Jace,” Simon said softly. “You were beautiful before. I stop at the library in the Institute sometimes, when I go to visit Clary. You’re always there, reading a book or working on a report. Glasses perched on your nose, pen tucked between your teeth, hair falling in your face. The fact that you know comic books just ups your hotness quotient.”

Jace paused with his beer halfway to his lips and stared at Simon.

“You like me,” Jace finally said as he set the beer down on the bar.

“Yeah,” Simon said. “I do.”

“And not just because I’m suddenly hot,” Jace said.

“Dude you were always hot,” Smon said. “To me, at least. I mean, you’re epically hot now, but you’ve always had this air of unattainability around you, like I never thought I had a chance with you so I would always just watch you. No one actually told me you were coming tonight when I made the arrangement with Izzy. She just told me that Alec and another Shadowhunter were showing up.”

Jace ran a hand through his hair and watched Simon. “That whole not needing to breathe thing really makes rambling easy, huh?” he said with a small smile.

“What? Yeah, no need to stop for breath,” Simon said. 

“It’s kind of cute,” Jace said softly.

“I guess - wait, what?”

“You started off as a thorn in my side,” Jace admitted. “Always there, sticking your nose in where it didn’t belong. But you’re a good friend and fiercely loyal and I like having you around.”

Simon downed the rest of his glass of blood and dropped some bills on the bar.

“Listen, want to get out of here?” Simon asked. “Raphael got me a new place away from the boathouse and it’s a pretty sweet pad.”

“Um … sure,” Jace said. “Supposed I can just text Alec to let him know I’m heading out.” He tugged his phone out of his jacket and shot a text off to Alec to let him know he was leaving.

“So, I know this seems super sketchy, me inviting you to my place,” Simon said as they left the club and headed in the direction of Simon’s apartment (or so Jace assumed). “But I promise I have no nefarious schemes in mind.”

“Nefarious schemes, huh?” Jace said as they walked.

“I’d be perfectly okay just sitting on the couch and watching a movie,” Simon said. “Fully clothed, even.”

“Glad you put that out there,” Jace said, chuckling. “Simon, you are the last person I expect to have nefarious schemes.”

As they walked, Jace shyly reached over and took Simon’s hand in his.

“Oh,” Simon said, looking down at their hands. “Wanna stop to get some food?”

“I have had breakfast and the a burger and fries at the salon,” Jace said. “Food would be awesome.”

“Food first then,” Simon said. Once they were near Simon’s place, they stopped at the local corner market to pick up some food and then went to Simon’s apartment.

Jace hesitated just inside the door as Simon turned lights on and kicked off his shoes.

“Dude,” Simon said, “take off your coat, get comfy.”

Jace hung his jacket up by the front door and unlaced his boots, setting them under his jacket. He padded quietly though the apartment and watched as Simon set bottles of water and a tray of snack foods on the coffee table.

“Nice place,” Jace said.

“Right?” SImon said as he kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the couch. “Wanna come sit and watch a movie?”

“Sure,” Jace said and went to sit down next to Simon. He cracked open a bottle of water and took a couple of sips before moving onto the snacks.

“Okay if I put Dune on?” Simon asked.

“The 1984 version or the 2000 version?” Jace replied.

“I was thinking the 2000 version, but if you want to watch the other, that’s cool too,” Simon said. “I have both.”

“No, I enjoy the 2000 version better,” Jace said.

“Me too!” Simon exclaimed as he pressed play and settled back to watch.

Jace alternated between snacking and drinking his bottle of water, but the day had been long and Jace was so tired …

He woke up just as Muad’Dib was fighting Feyd at the end of the miniseries, blinking blearily. He found himself with his head in Simon’s lap, Simon languidly running his fingers Jace’s hair. He hummed softly and watched the rest of the movie with his head in Simon’s lap.

“Want to watch Children of Dune?” Simon asked softly. “I heard you wake up.”

“No, Children of Dune wasn’t as good,” Jace mumbled.

“It really wasn’t,” Simon agreed, still running fingers through Jace’s hair. “You don’t mind this, do you?”

“Feel free to touch my hair whenever you want,” Jace said sleepily.

“Dangerous words,” Simon said. “Might live to regret them.”

“Don’t think so,” Jace said as he carefully sat up. “Also I think, as first dates go, this was a roaring success.”

“First date?” Simon said.

“First date of many,” Jace said. “At least I hope so.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Simon said. “I’d also like to kiss you. Very much.”

“Happy to oblige,” Jace said, leaning in and pressing his lips to Simon’s in a chaste kiss. It didn’t stay chaste for long; Jace didn’t know who deepened the kiss first, but soon there were hands under shirts and Jace was practically in Simon’s lap as they continued to kiss.

Jace pulled back first, the need to breathe overriding the want of more kisses.

“Shit,” Simon gasped. “Can we do that again?”

“Once I catch my breath, yeah,” Jace said, a bit breathless.

“I didn’t mean tonight,” Simon said. “I just mean at some point in the future. Maybe on our next date?”

Jace smiled and nodded. “Wanna go to the comic shop near the Institute next Saturday night? They somehow got Frank Miller to show up for a talk and signing event and because I am a regular patron they gave me two reserved VIP seats.”

“Frank Miller? You are speaking my language,” Simon said. “Yeah man, I’d love to go.”

“Maybe dinner beforehand?” Jace said. 

“I’d like that,” Simon said with a smile.

“Okay,” Jace said and started to get up.

“Where are you going?” Simon asked.

“Um … home?” Jace said.

“Do you have to?” Simon said. “I mean, wanna watch another movie? I’ve got just about every science fiction movie you could think of.”

Jace gave Simon a smile and settled back on the couch. “Chronicles of Riddick?” he asked.

“Coming right up,” Simon said.

“And I apologize in advance if I fall asleep again,” Jace said. “It was a long day.”

“I don’t mind,” Simon said as he got the movie started and sat down next to Jace. “I don’t mind at all.”

“Didn’t think you would,” Jace said, laying down and resting his head in Simon’s lap as he watched the movie, smiling when he felt Simon’s fingers in his hair.

And as Vin Diesel made his first appearance on the screen, Jace felt Simon press a shy kiss to his hair and smiled.

First date of many, indeed.


End file.
